Falling down.

Having reached the eight mile mark in my Marathon training I am fear my long run on Friday to take me over the ten mile mark. But it has to be done if I am to achieve my goal. I can't simply turn up on the day and think I can do eight miles how hard can the rest be! I have to build my stamina, experience and understanding of how my body reacts as I get further into the race. I know it is going to be hard and it will hurt but if I am to get the medal and finish the race I must be determined in my training and stick with it.

Whilst in school this week doing a lesson I caught sight of a Japanese Proverb that said, "Fall down seven times get up eight times". Our Faith is not determined by many times we fall but whether we allow God to raise us up once more. For most of us we will fall far more than seven time but God will stick with us and keep picking us up. I have faith that God will keep me going in all situations, especially when I get to the point where there is still half the Marathon to go.

There is a song that has come to our worship groups attention in the last few weeks which has been so helpful to me in sticking in there with my faith. Its called "Give us your courage" by Tim Hughes and here are the lyrics:

I’m not backing down
I will stand my ground
Lifting high the name of Jesus
Holding out Your light
To a world in need
Living out the love of Jesus
And though the battles rage
Your blessing still will come

To the ends of the earth we will go
To the ends of the earth we will go
Fill us with power
Fill us with power
For the truth of Your Word we will stand
For the truth of Your Word we will stand
Give us Your courage
Give us Your courage

Be our strength and song
Till the battles won
Cause Your face to shine upon us
Stretch Your hand to save
Our God never fails
Nothing is impossible for You

Would You breathe on us
http://www.worshipcentral.org/audio/give-us-your-courage

I may fall but I pray my faith will help me up one more time.

Matt

Snow down

Don't know about you but I love the snow!!! Its great stuff. I wish we would have had more in Nottingham but know the problems it has caused across the country. However the daily reporting of the "chaos" is start to feel a bit repetitive and over the top. Why is it that people seem to think that we have a right for all the roads, schools and shops to be kept open so that we can carry on as we usually do. Why don't we just slow down a bit and take stock of what we're doing, rather than worry about what we can't do. Is it realistic to carry on as normal with the conditions the way they were/are. Why don't we make the most of the time to stay at home, be with the family and enjoying the snow. We have become a 24 hours society that feels that if we go slow we are not doing enough or being productive or stopping the wheels of industry from producing what we don't need.

Not only that, we seem to have lost are ability to "get by" in hardship and trouble. I don't want to belittle peoples troubles with the snow but as we see the situation in Haiti we see what chaos really looks like and the fine line between life and death for those people affected by that tragedy. For all are disruption, we still have our lives, lively hood and homes but for the Haitian people, like so many in our world, they have had their lives destroyed.

Please pray for the people of Haiti and for the rescue teams to get in as soon as possible.

Matt